Leaves
by Saya-Sama
Summary: Not everything around her was dead, she realized. However it would take a little more than just knowing that to make her feel better. A surprising someone knows just what to do though. KandaxLenalee


**Heya~! Saya's stepping out of her norm for this one, it's a Kanda/Lenalee oneshot she had to do for the -Man flashfic comm. She's gotta say she just adores this pairing :3 Why, Saya hasn't a clue but there's just something so cute about it! So enjoy, even though it's not the yaoi you're used to?**

**Disclaimer is a disclaimer.**

**Rated: G as G gets. This is totally innocent and the KandaLena is really only there in hints. **

_Fallen Leaves_

A little whispering sigh filled the cool early morning air as golden brown leaves whirled around on the wind. The air was crisp, cool, much too cold for her to wear her short skirts in without a long coat. Lenalee sat in the courtyard of the Black Order's new headquarters, watching wistfully as leaves fell to the ground. Softly, prettily, they floated around and gently landed. It was such a pretty sight, so pleasing to the eye that it was easy to forget that these leaves were dead.

Everything around Lenalee was dead, in fact. The courtyard was surely breathtaking in the spring and summer, but it couldn't escape autumn's deadly breath. This is how the courtyard had been when the Order had first moved here, and Lenalee felt that the depressing scene of wilted flowers and fallen leaves was a very appropriate welcome.

Another sigh passed through her lips as she pulled her legs up onto the short bench that was placed directly in front of what was probably a glorious rose bush. Wrapping her arms around her knees to keep them close, Lenalee tilted her head to the side and wondered why she was here again, bringing down her own mood.

The sound of familiar footsteps made her look up and see an unlikely companion. Kanda wasn't looking at her, but instead his eyes followed her previous line of vision; he took in the browning, bending rose bush and the trees that surrounded it with an indifferent scowl. He knew her well, well enough to know that she was a bit depressed. She always got this way during the fall, but it was especially bad this year because of all the unsavory happenings of the recent past.

"Not much out here is actually dead, you realize," he said in an even tone that held no hint of real emotion. He didn't care about the not-quite-dead plants, just the girl who was bound to catch her death of a cold if she sat out here too long. He would never bother telling her that though, he had a feeling she knew anyway. They'd known each other far too long to _not_ know what the other was thinking all of the time.

"I know." After a long moment of heavy silence, Lenalee finally responded. "It all looks dead though, and that's just as sad. Besides, all the leaves are definitely dead and gone."

Kanda sighed and shook his head. He wasn't going to bother explaining to her that they were surrounded by plants and not humans with souls and emotions or animals with senses and the ability to think. He knew she knew that, she was just being sentimental. This was all probably very symbolic to her; being surrounded by death on any level was something she'd never gotten used to, not the way he had. Slowly, as if not wanting to disturb the peace of the place, or perhaps because he simply didn't feel that there was any need to rush (indeed there was none), he crossed the remaining distance between them and sat beside her on the small bench.

"Yes, they're dead, but they'll never be gone," Kanda said, his tone a smidgen lighter than normal in a way Lenalee had come to recognize as his positive tone. Kanda rarely ever used it; he needed to work on sounding optimistic. It was cute in an awkward sort of way to see him trying to cheer her up though.

"Of course they'll disappear eventually," she replied, not quite seeing what he meant.

"Not quite. They won't disappear, they'll just return to the earth they came from; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. "

"They might as well be gone then."

"But then when everything comes back to life, the earth will be used to feed new life. Maybe you can't see them anymore, but the leaves will still be there, they'll always be useful," Kanda went on as though she'd never said a thing. The thought of being useful after death was one he applied to more than just foliage.

"You're exceptionally positive today, Kanda. Unusually talkative, too."

"And you're exceptionally negative and quiet." Kanda's expression was annoyed, but she knew he was just embarrassed because of what she'd pointed out; she knew he would be. She wasn't sure if it was because of his words or simply because he was here at all, but Lenalee found herself feeling much better than she had before.

"I don't feel so negative anymore," she replied, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. Kanda just made a noise of acknowledgment in the back of his throat.

"It was nice of you to come out here and keep me company."

"I—" Clearly Kanda wanted to deny having done anything nice intentionally, but he knew that Lenalee would keep saying it until he just gave up and let her think what she pleased. The look on her face just drove that fact home, so he instead sighed and hung his head.

"That was not my intention."

"I'm sure it wasn't."

"Che." Kanda abruptly stood up, dusting himself off even though he clearly wasn't dirty by any measure. "It's freezing out here, I'm leaving," he said, his voice quiet. Lenalee looked at him questioningly when he didn't move from his spot. He stared back, his expression more impatient than hers.

"Well?"

" Well what, Kanda?"

"Are you coming inside, or are you going to stay out here and get yourself sick?" Lenalee smiled quickly, before covering her mouth with her hand, politely quieting her giggles. For someone who was so determined to be uncaring, he sure did care a lot.

"That depends, what's waiting for me inside?"

"A pony, or whatever it is little girls want…"

"Hey!" Kanda turned to walk away, and Lenalee followed with a bit of an indignant scowl. "I am not a little girl anymore!"

"Could've fooled me." Kanda was thankful for the cold, it gave him an excuse for his burning ears and tinted face, which was hidden well behind his bangs. He was pretty sure he knew better than anyone that she was no longer a little girl. She probably knew that, too. They knew each other too well for her not to.


End file.
